Lenovo Gets Smaller and Greener with A61e

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If Lenovo’s newest computer was any greener, then you’d have to plant it in the ground to use it. The company on Wednesday announced its newest desktop called the ThinkCentre A61e. During development, the desktop was codenamed “Blue Sky,” because of its environmentally conscience attributes.

The desktop is made with 90% reusable/recyclable materials. Even the box the desktop is shipped in is 90% recyclable. To say the machine itself is energy efficient is an understatement. The ultra small form-factor desktop saves up to to 50% in energy costs over previous models. Best of all, the desktop also has an optional solar panel available.

The desktop will be available in a 45-watt AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core and AMD Sempron single core processor model. The starting price for the system is US$399.

There is no doubt Lenovo’s new A61e bleeds green. You can’t get much greener than a computer that comes with an optional solar panel. Of course, when I saw that the desktop could be powered with a solar panel I had only one question. What good is a solar powered desktop without a solar powered display?

There are not many desktop computers that come with some instant return-on-investment (ROI). Considering the desktop only starts at $399, the ROI for the desktop is that much better. That’s not even including the space gained by using the ultra small form-factor desktop in place of a traditional sized desktop.

Some of my co-workers upon hearing about the solar powered desktop had a pretty good idea about using the new desktop to their advantages. They said it would make their cases for a window seat at work that much stronger. Clearly, these folks have been in the dark for too long. After all, there is a reason why Lenovo made the solar panel an optional accessory. It’s doubtful too many enterprises will buy it.